WO2009109536A1

WO2009109536A1 - Power-assisted pull-out system

Info

Publication number: WO2009109536A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/052419
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christoph Neuhaus
Original assignee: Accuride International Gmbh
Priority date: 2008-03-04
Filing date: 2009-02-27
Publication date: 2009-09-11
Also published as: EP2247220B1; DE102008012506A1; EP2247220A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a pull-out system for the power-assisted method of a push element (1), mounted linearly movably at a corpus (2) with a spring element (4) providing a force between the push element (1) and the corpus (2), characterized in that a first coupling point (5) is provided at the push element (1) and that the push element (1) is supported over the hinge point (5) at the corpus (2) in a hinge connection over the spring element (4) in a springy, prestressed manner.

Description

Power assisted pull-out system

The present invention relates to an extension system for the power-assisted method of a linearly movably mounted on a body thrust element with a between the thrust element and the body mediating a force spring element.

The term "pusher" is used in the context of the present application on behalf of all elements that are retracted into a body and extended, such as drawers and drawers for living, kitchen, office and storage furniture, sanitary facilities, electronics cabinets, computer racks etc. Furthermore, the term "push elements" also includes, for example, linearly movable parts in vehicles, for example drawers or console elements in cars. The term "body" in connection with the present application refers to the mostly stationary counterpart to the linearly displaceably mounted thrust element.

The present invention will be described with reference to a thrust member mounted linearly on a body. Here are in the description and the appended claims components and elements and their arrangement and function in relation to the pusher or the body called and described in detail. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the arrangement and function of the components and elements with respect to the pusher and body may be reversed, as it only depends on the relative movement of the body and pusher. Ie. Reference herein to the pusher (or body) means that according to the invention, the corresponding reference to the body (or pusher) is intended to be encompassed. The claims are to be construed in terms of their scope of protection so that the terms pusher and body also can be reversed.

The pull-out system according to the invention serves to provide power assistance in the movement of a push element movably mounted on a carcass by means of a linear guide. A linear guide may be a conventional plain bearing in a simple design or a roller or roller bearing or a ball bearing in a higher quality design. Ball bearing telescopic slides are usually used for a comfortable and stable movement of push elements on a carcass. For linear guides, the pusher element is moved between a fully extended position (off zugsendposition) and a fully inserted position (insertion end position) moved or moved.

Power assisted feed systems for linear guides have long been known and are constantly being developed. They usually provide the power assist on the last leg just before the plug-in end position. The thrust element is first inserted by an operator to a predetermined insertion depth, from where then takes place on the last stretch of a force support when retracting through the feeder system to Einschubendposition. The operator then usually has to spend no more own power, but the rest of insertion or collection is accomplished by the feeder system alone. The power assistance is usually done using spring forces.

Most retraction systems operate on the principle that on one of the two relatively movable elements (body or push element) a biased in the direction of Einschubendposition locking element is held locked in a standby position. The second element movable relative thereto is brought into frictional engagement during insertion with the locking element which is waiting in the ready position and is resiliently biased in the direction of the insertion end position, as soon as a certain insertion position has been reached. Upon engagement, the locked standby position of the locking element is released so that it is pulled by the spring tension in the Einschubendposition. An example of such a pull-in system is disclosed in DE 10 2004 006 092 A1.

Furthermore, it is known to combine Einzugssysteme with damping systems, so that the retraction on the last path to Einschubendposition not only power assisted, but also damped or braked. In many cases, it is desirable that the self-closing on the last path to Einschubendposition not jerky or very fast, but slowly and without hard or loud stop, even if the thrust element is inserted with great force or much momentum. Examples of applications for such damping systems are kitchen drawers, pharmacy cabinets, etc., which are often pushed with impetus in everyday life and yet are to be moved gently into the insertion end position.

A disadvantage of known feeder systems is that a locking element is biased held in a standby position and this must be brought to perform the power assisted feed with another element engaged or coupled. In the reverse direction of travel, it must be disengaged again or decoupled. Such intake systems are mechanically complex, susceptible to failure and damage and practice only on the last stretch of a force in the direction of insertion, which starts only at a certain retraction position. The power assistance is thus abruptly when reaching this retraction position. A support the extraction or extension of the push element is not provided by the known feeder systems.

The object of the present invention was thus to overcome the known disadvantages of the prior art.

This object is achieved by an extension system for the power assisted method of a linearly movable on a body thrust element with a between the thrust element and the body a force mediating spring element, wherein on the thrust element, a first articulation point is provided, via which the thrust element in a hinged connection is spring-biased supported on the body via the spring element.

The present invention can provide force assistance with both a single push-pull system on insertion in the push-in end position and on pull-out in the direction of the pull-out end position.

The provided on the thrust element first articulation point is spring-biased via the spring element with the body in combination. The resilient bias thus exerts a force on the first articulation point on the push element from a support point on the carcass. If this force is not perpendicular to the direction of travel, it has a component acting parallel to the direction of travel, which acts either in the insertion direction or in the extension direction and provides a force assistance in this direction.

In a first variant of the extension system according to the invention, a second articulation point is provided on the carcass and the spring element is arranged between the first articulation point and the second articulation point, wherein the spring element is directed to increase the propriety between the first articulation point and the second articulation point exercises.

In a second variant of the extension system according to the invention, the spring element is connected to the body and there is provided a second pivot point, which is supported on the one hand via the spring element resiliently biased on the body and on the other hand connected via a push rod to the first pivot point.

In contrast to the first variant, in which the spring element is arranged between the first articulation point and the second articulation point, here a push rod is provided between the first articulation point and the second articulation point, which keeps the distance between the two articulation points constant. The supported on the body spring force acts first on the - A -

second pivot point and is further transmitted via the push rod and the first pivot point on the thrust element for a power assisted process.

In one embodiment of the drawer system of the invention, the spring element comprises a compression spring, i. a spring in which the spring force causes an extension of the spring, preferably a gas spring or a coil spring. Preferably, the spring element comprises a gas spring with a cushioning, d. H. a damping device which exerts a damping effect in each case before reaching the insertion and / or Auszugendposition on the movement. Particularly preferred is a hydraulically acting end position damping.

In an alternative embodiment of the pull-out system according to the invention, the spring element comprises a tension spring, preferably a gas tension spring or a spiral tension spring.

It is inventively particularly useful that means are provided which direct the spring force so that a thrust force is exerted on the first articulation point on the thrust element. This is particularly important in those embodiments in which not a compression spring is provided directly between the first articulation point on the thrust element and the second articulation point on the body. In the case of a tension spring, the tensile force which normally results in a shortening of the spring is to be deflected so that the spring force acts in the direction of an extension of the spring and thus of a thrust.

In a preferred embodiment of the above-described second variant of the pull-out system according to the invention, the force of the spring element acts perpendicular to the direction of travel of the push element. About the first and second articulation points and the push rod, a proportion of this force acting perpendicular to the travel direction at an angle to the push element for a power assisted retraction or extension is transmitted. Alternatively, the spring force can act obliquely to the direction of travel of the thrust element, but the angle should not be more than 45 ° to the vertical, preferably not more than 20 ° to the direction of travel, otherwise in one direction parallel to the direction of travel thrust, in the opposite Direction, however, a train is exerted on the pusher. However, it is desirable that a thrust be exerted in both directions.

It is preferred in all variants of the extension system according to the invention that when completely pushed into the insertion end push element of the first articulation point on the thrust element relative to the second articulation point on the body in the direction parallel to the linear travel further in the direction of Einschubendposition is arranged and at is fully extended in the extended Auszugendposition thrust element is further arranged in the direction of Auszugendposition. In this preferred arrangement of the articulation points, since the spring element always exerts a thrust force on the first articulation point on the thrust element, the thrust element in the retracted state is always resiliently biased in the direction of the insertion end position. A push element is thus held biased by the spring force in the closed state. The extension of the thrust element takes place, starting from the Einschubendposition, initially under force against the bias of the spring element. The spring force of the spring element counteracts the extension until the first articulation point in the direction of travel is at the same height as the second articulation point, ie, until the first articulation point is in a plane perpendicular to the linear travel path and through the second articulation point. This position of the first articulation point is also referred to herein as the "dead center" of the force assisted method In this position, the force of the spring element exiting the spring element and acting on the first articulation point is perpendicular to the linear travel As soon as the "dead center" is overcome, the force on the push element no longer acts in the insertion direction, but in the extension direction and provides a force support for the pull-out.

The force support preferably acts on the pull-out until the pull-out end position. The maximum extension of the thrust element is then determined or limited, inter alia, via the maximum travel. Alternatively, it is possible to separate one of the connections of the system according to the invention with the push element or the body or within the system from a defined extension position, to allow a still further extract. The disengagement of the system with the body or pusher element may, for example, occur at the articulation points or within the spring element and is achieved by means known per se which are familiar to the person skilled in the art on the basis of his general expert knowledge. Such means for disabling or disengaging are not central to the present invention.

Drawers, shelves and similarly designed push elements usually have a base plate. Preferably, the pull-out system according to the invention is mounted in or parallel to the plane of the bottom plate. The articulation points can be arranged on the bottom plate of the thrust element and a corresponding plate on the body. Furthermore, at least one articulation point can also be arranged on a rail element of a telescopic extension. Alternatively, assembly of the pull-out system according to the invention can also take place laterally of the push element, in particular with push elements with higher side walls, such as drawers or drawers. In a further embodiment of the invention, at least one damper is further provided which dampens the insertion and / or the extension of the push element before and until the push-in end position and / or before and up to the pull-out end position.

For this purpose, preferably air dampers or oil dampers are provided, which are mounted in such a way on the body and / or the thrust element that the damping effect begins shortly before reaching the insertion or Auszugendposition. Alternatively, a damper is provided on the spring element which dampens the movement of the spring element when the spring is deflected in the direction of the insertion end position or the extension end position. This embodiment has the advantage that only a single damping element required, which causes a damping both the insertion and the extract.

Further advantages, features and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an exploded system according to the invention in an exploded view according to a first variant of the force-assisted method of a linearly movably mounted thrust element on a carcass.

FIG. 2 shows the pull-out system according to the invention from FIG. 1 in a view from below and with a view through the carcass element in the inserted state (top) and in the extended state (bottom) in a perspective illustration.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of an inventive extension system according to a second variant for the force-assisted method of a linearly displaceably mounted on a carcass thrust element in an exploded view, but without depiction of the body and push element.

FIG. 4 shows the pull-out system of the embodiment according to FIG. 3 in the inserted state (top) and in the extended state (bottom) in a perspective view.

Figure 5 shows a further alternative embodiment of a spring element for an inventive extraction system in an exploded view.

Figure 6 shows the embodiment of a spring element according to Figure 5 in the inserted state (above) and in the extended state (below) in a perspective view. Figures 1 and 2 show in exploded view and from below different views of the same pull-out system according to the invention according to a first variant with a pushing element

1 and a body 2, of which in the figures 1 and 2 each least the sections are shown, which have meaning for the pull-out system according to the invention. In this first variant of the pull-out system according to the invention, the spring element 4 mediating a force is disposed between the first articulation point 5 on the push element 1 and the second articulation point 6 on the carcass

2, so that the spring element 4 exerts an on an increase in the distance between the first pivot point 5 and the second pivot point 6 directed force. In other words, the first articulation point 5 is spring-loaded against the body 2 via the spring element 4.

The thrust element 1 and the body 2 are mounted on a ball-bearing telescopic rail 3 linearly movable against each other. On the thrust element 1 designed as an air damper damper 8 are arranged, wherein one of the damper 8 damps the insertion of the thrust element in the insertion end position on the last path and the second damper 9 attenuates the extraction of the thrust element in the extension end position. On the body 2 corresponding stops are provided which abut on the corresponding damper 8 shortly before reaching the respective end positions.

In Figure 2 (top), in addition to the reproduction of the extension system according to the invention, the distribution of the force exerted by the spring element 4 on the pivot point 5 forces in the directions shown perpendicular and parallel to the travel. It is clear that a proportion of the spring force acts in the insertion direction and thus keeps the pusher in the closed state. When the thrust element is pulled out, a force is initially applied against the force component acting parallel to the spring force until the spring element 4 and thus also the spring force exerted by the spring element 4 are perpendicular to the travel path, which is referred to herein as the "dead center" of the force-assisted method referred to as. In this "dead center" there is no force component of the spring force parallel to the travel direction "A" and thus no power assistance in the direction of the insert or the drawer. Once the "dead center" is overcome in the extension direction, the spring element in turn exerts a parallel to the travel in the extension direction force acting on the thrust element and thus provides a force support for the extract, as shown in Figure 2 (below). Since the extension is limited by a stop, the spring force keeps the pushing element in the extended position with a bias.

Figures 3 and 4 show an alternative embodiment of an extraction system according to the invention according to a second variant for the power assisted method of a linearly movably mounted on a body thrust element in exploded view or in perspective, but without representation of the body and push element. In this case, the second pivot point is the sixth on the one hand via the spring element 4 resiliently biased supported on the body and on the other hand connected via a push rod 7 with the first articulation point 5. The pivot point 6 is rotatably arranged herein on a sliding member 10, wherein the sliding member 10 is guided in a slot of a guide member 9 perpendicular to the direction of travel of the thrust element relative to the body. The guide member 9 is rigidly connected to a rail member of the telescopic rail 3, which in turn is mounted on the body, not shown. The spring force is exercised in this case by a tension spring 11, which is designed as a spiral spring. On the spring element 1 1, a damper 8 is further provided, which is attenuated by the spring force mediated movement both in the vicinity of the Einschubendposition and in the vicinity of the Auszugsendposition, both of which are achieved upon contraction of the spring.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a further alternative embodiment of a spring element for an extension system according to the invention, FIG. 5 showing an exploded view and FIG. 6 showing the spring element in the inserted state (top) and in the extended state (bottom) in a perspective view. The spring element comprises a substantially cylindrical spring housing 12 with a spiral spring (pressure spring) 11 arranged therein and a rod 13 guided out of the housing and acted upon by the spring. A plate, on which a damper is provided, extends from the housing 12, which then engages a member secured to the rod 13 and passed through a slot in the housing 12 in the direction of the damper 8 and dampens the movement as the spring member moves to the extended end position.

- -

reference numeral

1 push element

2 corpus

3 telescopic rail

4 spring element

5 first articulation point on the thrust element

6 second articulation point on the body

7 push rod

8 dampers

9 guide element

10 sliding element

1 1 spring element

12 spring housing

13 pole

A linear travel of the second pivot point 6 on the body of the second

Claims

claims

1. pullout system for the power assisted process on a body (2) linearly movable mounted thrust element (1) with a between the thrust element (1) and the body (2) a force mediating spring element (4), characterized in that on the

Push element (1) a first articulation point (5) is provided, via which the thrust element (1) in a hinged connection via the spring element (4) resiliently biased on the body (2) is supported.

2. pullout system according to claim 1, characterized in that on the body (2) a second articulation point (6) is provided and the spring element (4) between the first articulation point (5) and the second articulation point (6) is arranged, wherein the Spring element (4) exerts an on an increase in the propriety between the first pivot point (5) and the second pivot point (6) directed force.

3. Pull-out system according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring element (4) with the body (2) is connected and a second pivot point (6) is provided, on the one hand via the spring element (4) resiliently biased on the body (2) is supported and on the other hand via a push rod (7) with the first pivot point (5) is connected.

4. pullout system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring element (4) comprises a compression spring, preferably a gas pressure spring or a helical compression spring.

5. pullout system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring element (4) comprises a tension spring, preferably a gas tension spring or a spiral tension spring comprises.

6. pullout system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that means are provided which direct the spring force so that a thrust force is exerted on the first articulation point (5) on the thrust element (1).

7. Pull-out system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when completely pushed into the insertion end position thrust element (1) of the first articulation point (5) on the thrust element (1) relative to the second articulation point (6) on the body (2) in the direction parallel to the linear travel (A) is further arranged in the direction of the Einschubendposition and is arranged at fully pulled in the pull-out end position thrust element (1) in the direction of the Auszugendposition further.

8. pullout system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that further comprises at least one damper (8), preferably an air damper or oil damper, is provided, the insert and / or the extract of the thrust element (1) before and to the Einschubendposition and / or before and up to the pull-out end position.